Stylus-input recognition correction manager computer program product

• US 5,615,284 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Stephen E., Anthony, Nicos J., Rhyne, James R., Wolf, Catherine G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prikockis, Larry J.
• Application Number:
  US08/466,923
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 382/187, 382/309, 382/310, 382/311, 364/705.03, 364/709.11, 364/709.01, 365/175, 365/179, 365/180-183, 395/650
• US Class Current: 382/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/127 with the intervention of an operator

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer program product for a stylus-based user interface for computers. The invention is a process for separating a stylus-based application program from the procedures used to implement stylus-based, user driven error correction processes. This separation allows error correction procedures to be used by many applications, providing consistency in the user interface and saving application development costs through reuse of these procedures.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for implementing a stylus-input recognition correction manager, said computer readable program code means comprising;

computer readable stroke router program means for causing a computer to receive strokes from an application program, said stroke router program means having a first and a second mode of operation;

computer readable recognition manager program means, connected to said stroke router program means, for causing said computer to store said received strokes, to pass said received strokes to a handwriting recognizer for recognition, and to relay said recognized strokes from said handwriting recognizer back to said application program; and

computer readable mediator program means for causing said computer to implement a protocol between said application program and an error correction module, said protocol having means for causing said computer to facilitate retrieval of said recognized strokes by said error correction module from said application program;

wherein said first mode of operation of said stroke router program means causes said computer to route said received strokes to said recognition manager program means, and wherein said second mode of operation of said stroke router program means causes said computer to route said received strokes to an auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager associated with said error correction module,

wherein the stylus-input recognition correction manager causes said computer to provide an interface among said application program, said handwriting recognizer, and said error correction module.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager program means includes means for causing said computer to send said received strokes to a computer readable recognition manager program means associated with said auxiliary stylus-input correction manager program means for storage and recognition, and processing by said error correction module.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said error correction module includes means for causing said computer to inform said application program via said mediator program means that there are revised strokes to be displayed.

4. A computer program product for use with a stylus-input based computer system, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for processing stylus-input, said computer readable program code means comprising;

computer readable stylus-input recognition correction manager program means for causing a computer to manage a stroke router program means, a recognition manager program means, and a mediator program means;

computer readable stylus-based application program means, operating on said computer and connected to said stylus-input recognition correction manager program means, for causing said computer to accept handwritten strokes as input;

computer readable handwriting recognizer program means, connected to said stylus-input recognition correction manager program means, for causing said computer to recognize said handwritten strokes; and

computer readable error correction module program means, connected to said stylus-input recognition correction manager program means, for causing said computer to correct errors in said recognized handwritten strokes,

wherein said stylus-input recognition correction manager program means causes said computer to provide an interface among said application program means, said error correction module program means, and said handwriting recognizer program means,

wherein said stroke router program means causes said computer to receive said handwritten strokes from said application program means, said stroke router program means having a first and a second mode of operation, wherein said first mode of operation causes said computer to route received strokes to said recognition manager program means for storage and processing by said handwriting recognizer program means, and said second mode of operation causes said computer to route said received strokes to said error correction module program means through an auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager program means, said auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager program means being an instance of said stylus-input recognition correction manager program means.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein said recognition manager program means is connected to said stroke router, and includes means for causing said computer to store said received strokes, for causing said computer to pass said received strokes to said handwriting recognizer program means for recognition, and for causing said computer to relay said recognized strokes from said handwriting recognizer program means back to said application program means.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said mediator program means includes means for causing said computer to implement a protocol between said application program means and said error correction module program means, said protocol having means for causing said computer to facilitate retrieval of said recognized strokes by said error correction module program means from said application program means.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said computer readable program code means is configured to interact with a pen, a digitizing tablet, and a display device.

8. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein said application program means includes means for causing said computer to initiate said auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager program means, wherein said application program means causes said computer to pass said handwritten strokes to said auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager program means, said auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager program means causing said computer to operate on said handwritten strokes as said stylus-input recognition correction manager program means.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said error correction module program means includes means for causing said computer to initiate an error correction stylus-input recognition correction manager program means, whereby said error correction module program means includes means for causing said computer to use a consistent set of recognized gestures, shapes, and character independent of said application program means.

10. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing an interface among a stylus-based application program, an error correction module, and a handwriting recognizer, the method steps comprising:

(a) receiving handwritten strokes from the application program by a stroke router, said stroke router having a first and a second mode of operation;

(b) if said stroke router is in said first mode of operation, then routing said received strokes to a recognition manager, and if said stroke router is in said second mode of operation, then routing said received strokes to an auxiliary stylus-input recognition correction manager;

(c) passing said routed strokes from said recognition manager to the handwriting recognizer for recognition;

(d) relaying, by said recognition manager, said recognized strokes from the handwriting recognizer back to the application program;

(e) retrieving, via a protocol provided by a mediator, said recognized strokes from the application program for correction by the error correction module;

(f) correcting said retrieved strokes; and

(g) notifying, via said protocol, the application program that said corrected strokes are available.

11. The method steps of claim 10, wherein step (f) further comprises the steps of:

(h) initiating an error correction stylus-input recognition correction manager; and

(i) repeating step (a) through step (g) using said error correction stylus-input recognition correction manager.